Well look at that... it's time for the Secret Recipe Club again. Is anyone else finding that 2012 is whipping by at lightspeed so far, or is it just me?
This month, my assigned blog was Rachel Cooks, which is written and photographed by Rachel, a mostly-stay-at-home mom. Rachel just did a massive redesign a couple of weeks ago (in fact, the blog was still called "Not Rachael Ray" when I first received my assignment), and her new digs look fantastic!
Meet This Month's Blog
Like me, Rachel shares recipes for all kinds of dishes, though she add some other food-related content to the mix, including book reviews and features on other bloggers.
There were several recipes that looked like potential SRC candidates, but the one that caught my eye almost immediately was a Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta, which Rachel adapted from a recipe in Everyday Food magazine.
I don't know what I liked best about it - the fact that Rachel's photos were absolutely stunning, the fact that it sounded like a wonderful combination of flavours, or the fact it looked like a perfect addition to a brown bag lunch.
How I Made the Recipe my Own
As always, I made a few tweaks here and there.
I used walnut oil instead of olive oil, balsamic instead of red wine vinegar, fresh thyme instead of dried, and added a sprinkling of chopped parsley and chopped green onions because I happen to think all lentil salads are vastly improved by the addition of parsley and onion.
Next time, I might also throw in some finely chopped Granny Smith apples for some extra crunchiness, but it was still pretty damned perfect just as it was.
The Verdict
I ended up serving the salad on a bed of baby spinach to make it a little more substantial, with a few paper-thin slices of Niagara capicollo and fresh Montreal-style bagels on the side.
It was just the dinner I needed after stuffing my face with Southern barbecue at lunch - satisfying without being overly heavy, full of bright flavours and crunchy textures.
Plus it was healthy enough to make me feel a little less guilty about my lunchtime splurge without feeling like I was depriving myself,
Oh, and it's even better a day after it's made, once the flavours have had a little time to mellow and get to know each other. Totally a lunch-worthy leftover.
With hot summer days just around the corner (hopefully), I have a feeling this salad might go into my regular rotation. Thanks Rachel!
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Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A combination of sweet grapes with nutty lentils, crunchy walnuts, crisp fresh celery and briny feta makes this salad downright addictive. Serve on its own for a vegetarian main, or pair with a charcuterie platter for a light meat-eaters' lunch.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup French puy lentils
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp honey
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp walnut oil or olive oil
- 1 ½ cups seedless red grapes, halved
- ¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add lentils. Reduce heat to low and simmer the lentils, covered, for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and thyme. Add walnut or olive oil, and whisk until combined. Add lentils, toasted walnuts, grapes, celery, green onions and feta, and stir until salad is well coated with dressing.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with some crusty bread and a glass of wine. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
mobasir hassan says
You have made and described the recipe so nicely that really helped me lots. I am looking forward for more of such delicious recipes in future too.
★★★★★
Maria says
Wow love the sound of this salad and that you used lentils with feta and grapes - that sounds like such a good combination!! I'm always looking for new salad ideas to keep it interesting, this sounds really good! Thanks for the inspiration!
Jen at The Three Little Piglets says
I totally agree - 2012 has flown by! I can't believe my kids only have 7 more days of school left! I'm not sure I'm ready for summer yet...
Kim Bee says
You got assigned a stellar blog this month girl. This salad is amazing. It would make even the likes of me want to eat salad. And you know how I feel about salad. It's that tempting right now.
Tiffany says
Sweet, savory, and salty... this salad's got everything!
Gourmantine says
This salad has spring written all over it, perfect sunny weather! (and yes, 2012 is passing with the speed light.. way too fast)
★★★★★
Lori Lynn says
Glad the recipe is no longer a secret! Sounds delicious!
LL
Beth says
I'm hooked! This salad looks wonderful.
Beth Michelle says
What a light and beautiful dish. Love the flavors in it! Perfect for spring.
Stephanie says
This looks so tasty, I love salads that have some sort of grain in them. The addition of walnut oil is a good idea
Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says
BEAUTIFUL! I love lentils, but haven't had them in a while! Guess it's time to do break out the yummy things!
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef says
all those flavors together must be amazing! great src pick. :)
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
What a great looking salad. Love all the fresh flavors.
sara says
YUM, this salad looks fantastic! I don't often think about using grapes in a savory salad, but I bet their juicy sweetness would be perfect here!
Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies says
Ooooh I love walnut oil. It's so fabulous, and I bet it really gives the lentil salad a fabulous flavor.
★★★★★
Choc Chip Uru says
This looks like a delicious salad! Grapes and cheese are best friends :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Lesa @Edesia's Notebook says
What a beautiful salad! Great choice!
Mireia says
I'm bookmarking it, what a great group to be in!! You get to discover sooo many bloggers!!
PolaM says
This salad looks fantastic! And the pairing of lentils and grape must be delicious!
Mary Ellen @ Pâte à Chew says
Lovely! I am always looking for new dishes to make with lentils, they are such a great ingredient. Great post!
Rachel Cooks (formerly Not Rachael Ray) says
This is one of my favorite recipes, glad you liked it. Thanks for all the kind words :)
[email protected] says
We LOVE lentils in this house and are always trying to come up with new ways to have them. Great recipe!
Erica says
Holy goodness - yum! That sounds like a fabulous combination. Loving the grapes in there. Great pick
Gretchen says
LOVE the idea of adding grapes to a lentil salad...can't wait to try that!
Ginny says
YUM! I have been on a major lentil kick lately and this looks fantastic! Your photos are awesome. What a great post. Wonderful job!!
Mellissa says
Great summer salad, I may need to try this with the bag of lentils sitting in my pantry.